Updated: 10/28/2022
The purpose of a driveway is simply to get your car off the street. Having an aesthetically pleasing driveway will increase the value of your property. However, before building a driveway, several factors must be considered, including functionality and design.
If you are thinking of adding a driveway to your property, there are numerous options to choose from. These also depend on durability, maintenance needs, cost, and appearance. There are driveways made of concrete, asphalt, gravel, and paver. Concrete driveways are the most durable. Asphalt is also popular and cheaper than concrete. Gravel is the cheapest option, while pavers are aesthetically pleasing.
If you are thinking of adding a second driveway to your property, certain regulations need to be met and approvals are needed.
If you are adding a driveway to the property, a Google search will reveal different contractors, including asphalt paving contractors in your area.
A good contractor will advise you on affordable driveway options that will meet your needs, budget, and weather conditions. An aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-maintain driveway will add curb appeal and increase the value of your house. Get a reputable contractor who has enough experience and can also show you previously completed projects.
Updated 5/12/22.
The durability of asphalt and its cost-effectiveness make it a popular choice of material for the installation and repair of parking lots and driveways. However, due to a lack of maintenance or shoddy work from asphalt contractors, there may be issues arising with the usage of asphalt. Here are some of those issues and what causes them.
Raveling
Raveling occurs when pavement breaks down due to the loss of rocks and asphalt. This happens because the pavement’s thickness decreases over time and gives way to loose gravel remaining on the asphalt.
Depressions
They are low sections in pavement that are usually caused due to poor compaction in the process of asphalt paving. If they are not addressed and fixed immediately, the collected water and debris in the depressions can cause the asphalt surface to wear off and weaken its quality.
Potholes
These are small depressions with bowl-like features which penetrate through an asphalt layer down to its base. They increase in size over time when moisture enters the affected section and can leave fatal effects if not fixed on the asphalt installed.
Asphalt repairing and installation requires a great deal of work and as such should be handled by professionals since they know all about asphalt paving preparation, how to operate the best small asphalt paver and how to do asphalt driveway. They also know the techniques used in the laying of asphalt concrete and laying asphalt driveways which makes them a suitable option when it comes to installing and repairing asphalt driveways.
Do you know how to pave your driveway? If you do, you’ll be able to do a lot of the work yourself when replacing the old driveway. However, there are many repair issues that can come up. If your driveway is old, the asphalt might be cracking, letting in water. Unless you know how to lay asphalt driveway correctly, you are better off bringing in a paving company to do it for you. They know how to install asphalt in a way that is quick, clean, and easy.
Then they’ll leave and you’ll have your brand new driveway.
If you know how to lay blacktop and you have the equipment to do so, you can save some money by doing the work yourself. But this leads to the risk of doing it wrong. If there are problems after the repair, you might end up needing to bring in a professional anyway. This will cost money and prolong the repair process. So you’re better off bringing in a paving company at the beginning of the process in order to ensure it is done right.
Do you have questions about how to utilize asphalt pavers for your next home renovation or construction project? Are you wondering if it is possible to design my driveway online with the help of a virtual design expert? Do you have questions about prices, budgeting, and costs associated with asphalt and paving services in your area? Getting help with any renovation or construction project is important but especially so when asphalt installations are involved.
You can easily become inspired by many concrete driveway design pictures online, but it is important to choose the looks, style, and design that is right for your home and your property as well. A professional paver can assist you with this entire process from start to finish! They can go over your concrete slab driveway ideas and any driveway design drawings you may have on hand. They will help you determine what will and what will not work for your home, so you do not waste time and money on faulty design installations.
Find your local paving and asphalt experts today and let them guide you through the process, so you can get the perfect look for your home’s newest addition!
New architectural asphalt roof shingles have been used for years. The people who have asphalt shingle roofs may also be interested in asphalt paving. Asphalt is a material with multiple uses and benefits. It’s smoother than man other pavement materials. At the same time, people can expect better skid resistance with asphalt than they would with plenty of other materials, which is one of the reasons why asphalt is so widely used.
The asphalt application process shouldn’t take long. People will be able to walk on their new asphalt pavement after only a couple of days. Even if it takes an extra day, people usually still won’t have to wait long for their new asphalt to be usable. If it’s resurfaced asphalt, then people actually might only have to wait for a few hours. A new asphalt surface will take much longer to be dry, but the people who are just updating the asphalt that they already have might have a comparatively easy experience.
Asphalt concrete recycling and asphalt conversion are both options. Someone with a concrete driveway might want an asphalt driveway instead. It’s actually possible to pave asphalt material over the concrete, which should give people more options.
Over time, your driveway might start to have some problems. While these aren’t necessarily things that will endanger your house, cracks and holes can raise your risk of flooding and other damage over the long run. So if your driveway is in bad shape, you might need to repair it. The repairs you need will depend on the type of driveway you hae. A gravel concrete driveway will have specific needs when it comes to driveway leveling. This is the same for all driveway paving styles. So while you might think it’s a simple enough job that you can just do at home, you probably want to bring in a professional. A new driveway company will be able to determine exactly what your paving style is and what you need to do in order to maintain it. They can also change it up for you if you want. So if you have an asphalt driveway and want to make a gravel and concrete driveway, they’ll be able to it for you. So before you make any decisions about repairs, decide what kind of driveway would work best for you.
Over time, your driveway might start to have some problems. While these aren’t necessarily things that will endanger your house, cracks and holes can raise your risk of flooding and other damage over the long run. So if your driveway is in bad shape, you might need to repair it. The repairs you need will depend on the type of driveway you hae. A gravel concrete driveway will have specific needs when it comes to driveway leveling. This is the same for all driveway paving styles. So while you might think it’s a simple enough job that you can just do at home, you probably want to bring in a professional. A new driveway company will be able to determine exactly what your paving style is and what you need to do in order to maintain it. They can also change it up for you if you want. So if you have an asphalt driveway and want to make a gravel and concrete driveway, they’ll be able to it for you. So before you make any decisions about repairs, decide what kind of driveway would work best for you.
At some point or another all driveways will require some kind of driveway repair. Concrete driveways that are installed correctly and maintained properly should last between 25 and 50 years, while asphalt driveways tend to have a shorter lifespan of about 20 to 30 years. Asphalt is by far the more popular option when it comes to roadways in America, where 2.6 million miles (94%) of roads and 90% of parking areas are paved with it. That tends to be the case when it comes to homeowners driveways as well.
Unless you plan on completely repaving the entire thing, eventually driveway repair will be necessary. For those that are do-it-yourselfer’s here are the three most common types of problems you will encounter and some advice for fixing them.
1.) Potholes: Probably the most commonly thought of issue that asphalt surfaces will face are garden variety potholes. As the name suggests these are literally holes that are left behind after pieces or chunks of the asphalt are gone. They can vary greatly in size and severity. From tiny little chipped out pieces that hardly anyone would notice, to multi-feet wide craters that can do serious damage to vehicles over time. As is the case with most things you’ll be better off taking care of potholes when they’re smaller and can be dealt with a quick driveway repair than waiting until they become a real problem.
2.) Spiderweb Cracks: Also known as alligator cracks these are the multiple little cracks that looks like, well spiderwebs. These are the precursors to a full-on pothole. These can come about from normal wear and tear over the years and if dealt with early on can be fixed in a matter of no time. A few scoops of asphalt patch will take care of them no problem. Again, it’s when you let them grow and become bigger, deeper, and more prevalent that a pothole will develop.
3.) Sink Holes: Sink holes, or bird baths as they’re sometimes called, are parts of your driveway that sink inwards. These are usually caused if there is major settling of the ground soon after the driveway was paved. A poorly constructed foundation will almost always lead to sink holes of some degree. Another way they can come about is through years of being washed away by the sun and heat. Usually around one to two inches deep in depth, these can also eventually lead to potholes if proper driveway repair is not done early on.
Those are three of the most common issues every asphalt driveway may face at some point or another. At the end of the day, the better job you do staying on top of maintenance and repairs, the less time, work, and money you’ll spend in the long run.
